Technology, Markets, & Global Finance by Paul Barsch

Zero Latency Future

Popular columns on a trend in decision making supported by advanced technologies and even more advanced thinking.

Is The Speed of Decision Making Accelerating?

In a tightly coupled global economy, decision making windows can open and close quite rapidly. Take a look at advanced technologies like complex event processing, blistering fast processors and sophisticated algorithms in this post to help you understand how some companies are acting upon information faster than others, and mauling the competition. read now

Of Baby Black Swans and The Race to Zero

Defined as extreme events with high impact, Black Swans are infrequent occurrences that pack a punch (i.e. in financial markets the 2008 crisis, or 2010 flash crash). However a new study shows as the combination of machine trading and speed intertwine, these extreme events are occurring more often than previously imagined. As markets continue to connect and participants become linked, each extreme bounce and/or collision may slowly break the system. Read more

Zero Latency Decision Making

In a zero latency world, companies compete on speed in data analysis. In fact, for some progressive companies (and there are many), the capture of data and analysis is completed in milli-seconds. When does zero latency decision making make sense, and when is it better to spend more time reaching a decision? This podcast will tell you the answer.

Competing in a Zero Latency World

Like it or not, in the near future your company may be competing with a computer. In fact, companies with the fastest computers, most sophisticated algorithms, technical know-how and most complete data sets will begin to separate themselves from competitors. Where time is of the essence in making a decision, you’ll want to look at zero-latency capabilities to respond quickly to events as or before they happen. read now

The Zero Latency Future is Now

Today’s advanced technology brings us virtual broadband autobahns that move data across the globe with speed and precision. In an attempt to capitalize on fast-moving data, some companies are using sophisticated applications and compute power to make decisions faster than competitors. However, when machines move millions of times faster than humans, there are some implications for the decisions made by marketing professionals. Read more

Your Friend the Algorithm

Sifting through mountains of data isn’t easy, in fact finding the right answer—and quickly—requires automation and procedure. Hence the beauty and value of using algorithms to execute tasks with blinding speed. read now

Implications of Computers Reading the News

Wall Street analysts and traders have a new weapon at their disposal: news analytics. In an effort to keep up with the deluge of news, events and alerts, some investment firms are turning to machines to read and score news for sentiment and word counts all in real time. Read more

Algorithms for Competitive Advantage

Some companies archive data for analysis at a later point in time, some purge data as quick as they obtain them, while others capture, ingest, analyze, and use data for competitive advantage—sometimes in microseconds! And in a sea of plenty, it’s often the best algorithm that wins. Read more

Profiting From Information Networks – Lessons from the Rothschilds

Today’s information networks transmit knowledge with blinding speed via computers, internet and telecommunications. Of course, such mechanisms didn’t exist in the 1800s. Even so, the ability to capture information and transmit it faster than competitors conferred significant advantage two hundred years ago, much as it does today. Read more

Zero Latency: Count Down to Zero

When it comes to decision making, too much speed without attention to improvements in logic and business processes can be disastrous. Read more

The Speed Advantage

Sometimes faster isn’t better. However, in the case of high frequency trading (HFT), if I can buy and sell in 75-124 microseconds, while you cannot, I have advantage. In fact, in a zero latency world, those who can process information and make intelligent decisions faster than competitors have significant advantage. Read more

Everything – But Faster!

Zero latency is the process of removing/reducing the time between an event and action. Those companies that can react and respond to changing market conditions faster than competitors (in a value creating manner) usually end up the first to the lunch table. Amazon is a great case study of a company pursuing zero latency wherever possible. Read more